Brilliant: Difference between revisions

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[[File:Brilliant_content_team.png|thumb|Courses on Brilliant are made by an anonymous “content team”.]]

Brilliant functions similarly to a mathematics textbook, but with buttons to click through to get to the next paragraph, and quizzes between paragraphs. Some of the illustrations have interactivity, in a lot of cases a slider that can be dragged around. These interactive elements make Brilliant appear to offer more than a traditional textbook.  

Brilliant never promotes itself as being appropriate to a particular audience studying for a particular goal. Courses on Brilliant introduce basic concepts of each subject, but with no independent validation or accreditation for their efficacy.

==Terms of use==

The [[terms of service]] for Brilliant say:<ref>[https://brilliant.org/terms-of-use/ Terms of use]</ref><blockquote>Brilliant reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to modify or replace any of the terms or conditions of this Agreement at any time. It is User's responsibility to check this Agreement periodically for changes. User's continued use of the Service following the posting of any changes to this Agreement constitutes acceptance of those changes.</blockquote>Even if the consumer has paid for a full year of service, therefore, Brilliant can change its terms and conditions [[Post-purchase EULA modification|after the sale]]. Continuing to use the service that the consumer has paid for under the previous terms of service automatically constitutes acceptance of changes.

Brilliant may cancel access to the service that the consumer has paid for at any time without offering a refund:<blockquote>Brilliant may change, suspend or discontinue the Services, including the availability of any feature, database or content, at any time. Brilliant may also impose limits on certain features and services or restrict User's access to parts or all of the Services without notice or liability.</blockquote>If the law grants the consumer rights that are illegally denied by the terms of use, the consumer is locked out from accessing the service:<blockquote>User also certifies that User is legally permitted to use the Service and takes full responsibility for the selection and use of the Service. This Agreement is void where prohibited by law, and the right to access the Service is revoked in such jurisdictions.</blockquote>

The price advertised by Brilliant may not be the actual price a customer would be required to pay. The actual price has undisclosed additional taxes added:<blockquote>All fees are exclusive of applicable taxes (e.g. sales, use, or value-added tax), unless otherwise stated, and User is solely responsible for the payment of any such taxes that may be imposed on your use of the Service.</blockquote>If a customer cancels his payment card to prevent further charges, Brilliant may go directly to the card issuer to request confidential records of any new card belonging to the consumer:<blockquote>User authorizes Brilliant to obtain updated or replacement expiration dates and card numbers for User's credit or debit card as provided by User's credit or debit card issuer.</blockquote>To reitirate, Brilliant may cancel access to the service that the consumer has payed for at any time without offering a refund:<blockquote>Except as expressly provided in the “Refunds” section below, all fees are final and nonrefundable (including in the event any features or functions of any service that User has subscribed to are changed, modified, diminished or removed), except as otherwise required by applicable law.</blockquote>

When Brilliant lowers its prices, existing customers will still be charged the previous higher prices on renewal, though they are protected from price increases by the same policy:<blockquote>User's subscription to the Service will continue indefinitely until cancelled by User (via the cancellation mechanisms provided on the Site). After User's initial subscription period, and again after any subsequent subscription period, User's subscription will automatically continue for an additional equivalent period, at the price User agreed to when subscribing.</blockquote>By using the service, the user is automatically opted in to the automatic renewal, and there is no option to not agree to it:<blockquote>User agrees that User's account will be subject to this automatic renewal feature.</blockquote>Subscription itself authorizes Brilliant to periodically charge customers' credit cards for automatic renewal, again including undisclosed additional taxes:<blockquote>By subscribing, User authorizes Brilliant to charge User's credit card, debit card or other payment method at such time and again at the beginning of any subsequent subscription period, including any sales or similar taxes imposed on User's subscription payments.</blockquote>

Brilliant may grant refunds to customers at its sole discretion:<blockquote>All payments To Brilliant for the Services are nonrefundable. There are no refunds or credits for partially used subscription periods. However, Brilliant may grant refunds or credits on a case-by-case basis at Brilliant’s sole discretion. Brilliant’s grant of a refund or credit in one instance does not obligate Brilliant to provide a refund or credit in the future, under any circumstances.</blockquote>

The seven-day free trial is a [[Click-to-cancel#Free-to-pay|free-to-pay]] scheme: a one-year paid subscription with a seven-day cancellation period:<blockquote>Brilliant may offer promotions, such as free trials, discounts, or other special offers, to users from time to time (collectively, “Promotions”). Promotions may be subject to specific terms, including a defined period during which the Promotion must be redeemed and utilized (each, a “Promotion Period”). Unless otherwise stated, any use of a Promotion will automatically convert into a paid subscription for the Services upon the expiration of the Promotional Period. Users are responsible for canceling their subscription before the end of the Promotional Period to avoid incurring any charges (or, in the case of a discount Promotion, to avoid additional charges). Failure to cancel within the Promotional Period will result in the applicable subscription fee being charged to the payment method provided at the time of sign-up or as updated by User.</blockquote>In a CNET survey about the use of subscription services, “A total of 48% of respondents said they had signed up for a free trial of a paid subscription and then forgot to cancel it.”<ref>[['Subscription Creep' Is Real. Consumers Are Paying Over $1,000 Each Year, CNET Survey Finds]]</ref>

Brilliant may only appear in YouTube videos with the express permission of Brilliant, which suggests that only those paid by the company to say pre-approved messages are allowed to display its product.<blockquote>Reproducing, copying or distributing any content, materials or design elements on the Site for any purpose is strictly prohibited without the express prior written permission of Brilliant.</blockquote>

Local consumer rights may not apply to the agreement. According to the terms of service, with respect to their agreement with Brilliant, customers are governed by the laws of Pennsylvania, but not to its courts, instead agreeing to submit to the jurisdiction of the courts in California.<blockquote>This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the state of Pennsylvania, as if made within Pennsylvania between two residents thereof, and the parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the state and Federal courts located in San Francisco, California.</blockquote>Customers forgo the right for legal action, instead being subject to [[forced arbitration]] by a private company:<blockquote>Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, (but without limiting either party's right to seek injunctive or other equitable relief immediately, at any time, in any court of competent jurisdiction), any disputes arising with respect to this Agreement shall be settled by arbitration in accordance with the rules and procedures of the Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Service, Inc. ("JAMS"). The arbitrator shall be selected by joint agreement of the parties. In the event the parties cannot agree on an arbitrator within thirty (30) days of the initiating party providing the other party with written notice that it plans to seek arbitration, the parties shall each select an arbitrator affiliated with JAMS, which arbitrators shall jointly select a third such arbitrator to resolve the dispute. The written decision of the arbitrator shall be final and binding on the parties and enforceable in any court. The arbitration proceeding shall take place in San Francisco, California, using the English language.</blockquote>

[[Category:Brilliant]]